All in the Frames
by propinatio
Summary: Regina Mills needs glasses and finding the right frames is a tough decision, she doesn't want to make. However unexpected conversation and company leads a choice in frames and something else. AU slight college theme.


Choosing a pair of glasses shouldn't be this difficult. It wasn't like she wanted them anyway. Her mother had hated the glasses she'd needed to wear, as she got older, forcing the dislike onto her daughter.

Regina sighed as she reached for another pair of frames. She pulled her hand back as did the blonde woman standing beside her.

"Sorry, go ahead." The woman smiled turning back to another pair of frames. Regina faltered for a moment at the kind smile before picking the frames from their perch and turning to the mirror. She set the frames on her face, paused, sighed, and put them back.

In a shop full of - and specifically for - glasses why was it so hard to find a pair she liked?

She glanced over to the blonde woman. She was standing ridiculously close to the mirror wearing Harry Potter-esque spectacles. She groaned before turning and spotting Regina looking at her.

"What?" She smiled as Regina tried - and failed - to hide her own.

"I don't think those frames suit you, dear."

"I dunno," The blonde pushed them up with a serious expression. "I did just get my Hogwarts letter. Gotta play the part, you know?"

"Aren't you a little old for Hogwarts?"

"Maybe. But I'm not passing up the opportunity. The letter got lost in the post. Seems you can't trust the post whether it be magical or muggle."

Regina's chuckled as she watched the blonde. The blonde was surprisingly funny, and her easy smiles began to slowly brighten Regina's day. The blonde's seriousness morphed into a wide grin.

"What do you need yours for?" The spectacles went back on their perch as the blonde moved around Regina to see the greater selection.

"Reading. And yourself?" Regina asked, surprising herself. She was making small talk, with a stranger, and enjoying it.

"Distance. So basically all the time."

"Need to pick some good frames then."

"Tell me about it." The blonde seemed to now be choosing some ridiculous frames and Regina had a hard time keeping her laughter in check.

"This whole process is ridiculous, you realise."

Regina raised a brow at the blonde behind the pair of bug-eye glasses resting on her face. "How so?" She asked.

The blonde cracked a wide grin and pointed at the frames. "You have to get those. Anyway, I mean, I need new frames but to see which ones I like. But I can't wear any glasses to see what the look like in the mirror. So I have to get up close and personal with the mirror to see what they look like."

"So that's why you were standing so close before."

"Nah, I'm just really vain." The blonde replied with a shrug. Regina snorted at the comment seeing the joke in the blonde's eyes. Her hand flew across her mouth as she continued to laugh. After a few moments her laughter was down to sporadic chuckles. It didn't help her when the blonde started 'modelling' her frames dramatically in the mirror.

"Those!" The blonde blurted when Regina slid a pair of thin, dark red reading glasses. Both women seemed a little shocked at the outburst.

"Really?"

"Really really. Wait, look at me over the top of the frames." Regina's brow furrowed at the strange request but she did it all the same. "Yeah, those. Definitely those." The blonde nodded vigorously. The slight blush along pale cheeks definitely boosted Regina's ego.

"Why?"

The blonde paused for a moment, "One word: librarian."

Regina pondered the comment for a moment before turning on the blonde who'd moved to her left. "As in 'sexy librarian'?

The blonde smirked playfully as she nudged Regina's shoulder. "And you called me vain."

"I never called you that." She said pulling the frames off.

"You didn't have to." The blonde winked trying on a pair of black, thick-rimmed wayfarers.

"Get those."

"Why?"

Regina smirked, "One word: Nerd."

The blonde laughed as Regina replaced the red frames and moved to one of the stand-alone displays in the centre of the shop floor.

The new selection frames in front of pulled her focus from the disappointment at the blonde not following her.

Her eyes occasionally drifted back to the blonde. Occasionally was definitely putting it mildly. And she didn't mean for her gaze drop down to the tight denim more than once.

She couldn't stop the sigh of disappointment as she saw the blonde walk to the counter. A pair of frames she couldn't see held close to her body.

Reaching out she froze at the feeling of someone standing behind her.

"I'd go for the librarian ones if I were you."

Tilting her head so she could see the blonde woman she smirked. "But you're not me, dear."

"No, and you're not me either. Otherwise your eyes would be glued to that mirror." She said nodding toward the mirror above them. Regina bit her lip from laughing as the blonde winked at her own reflection.

"I think I can choose for myself. After all I would be the one wearing them." Regina stated, more firmly than she intended.

"Well then, it was really nice talking to you." She smiled, nodded politely and walked away.

Regina didn't understand the sudden feeling of emptiness that plagued her as the blonde left.

With thoughts of the friendly blonde woman who was actually really attractive, she moved around the store on autopilot.

It was ten minutes later when her fingers landed on a pair of frames that she smiled.

* * *

Her fingers massaged the bridge of her nose under the glasses. Though she liked her glasses she was still getting used to them. Regina turned the page of her textbook, her eyes flicking over every line as her pen hovered over her notepaper. She pushed the glasses up her nose as she felt them slip.

She felt the chair next her being pulled out. She turned her back to the person sitting in the chair so as not to be disturbed.

"Excuse me, librarian, but I was hoping you could help me find something?"

Regina stayed silent hoping the person was talking to an actual librarian and leave soon.

"Librarian?"

Regina huffed turning her best glare on the person now sitting on her right. The glare quickly faded to surprise as she recognised the blonde sitting beside her.

"You." She breathed, relishing the wide smile on the blonde face.

"Me." She stated with a quiet chuckle.

Regina brow furrowed, "You called me a librarian."

"You chose the glasses." She said pointing to the red frames on her face. Regina's hand self-consciously moved to tilt the frames as she blushed.

"I did."

"So did you." Regina said pointing to the black wayfarers that suited the blonde well. Really well. The blonde's bright green eyes seemed to shine through the lenses and Regina couldn't pull her eyes away.

"I had some good input on what to choose."

Regina glanced down at her book, very aware of how she'd been staring. "Did you want me to help you find something?"

"Oh yeah," The blonde chuckled, lowering her voice at the glare from the man at the far end of the table. "I was hoping you knew where I could find a mirror. I haven't been able to look at my beautiful face in over three minutes!"

Regina hid her laughter behind her hand as the blonde spoke.

"Although, I could just look into your eyes instead. Would prefer it actually."

Regina leant back in her chair with confusion. "Are you... are you flirting with me?"

"Is it working? Cause if so yes, if not then... Well, still yes."

"But... why?"

"Why flirt with you?"

"Yes!" Regina hissed quietly feeling right out of her element. The only person that had shown any interest in her was her high school boyfriend, Daniel, who'd left to go to a different college. That had not ended well, at all. A friendly hug goodbye did not do a two-year relationship justice.

"Well, you're beautiful." The blonde stated with a simplicity that shocked the brunette.

"No, I'm not." Regina whispered quietly. Her fingers began unconsciously tracing the scar on her top lip.

The blonde rested her chin on her right hand as she watched Regina with narrowed eyes. "You're right. You're not. You're sexy, obviously smart, and can wear the hell out of a pantsuit. By the way, why are you wearing a pantsuit? We're in college."

Regina had started off as offended and now was fighting a smile. "I like my pant suit, thank you very much."

"I like the way it shapes your ass." Regina's arm shot out to smack the blonde arm as she laughed in shock. The man at the end of the table shushed them, sending both women into fits of silent giggles.

"You're unbelievable." Regina panted.

"Yup." The blonde smiled widely. "So, about the flirting thing..."

"What about it?"

"I like you."

"You like me?"

"I do. Even though I've been calling you hot librarian chick in my head. Because someone hasn't told me her name." The blonde tilted her head to the side as she teased Regina.

"Regina."

"Emma."

"Nice to meet you, Emma." Regina smiled holding her hand out for a shake.

"And you, hot librarian chick."

The smile on Regina's face couldn't get any wider if she tried.

And for the first time since she realised it, Regina was more than happy for needing glasses.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked it. Just a little one-shot hoping to get me out of my writers block for Next Level Friendship.**

**Got the idea from one of those au posts, and I got new glasses the other day and had the same revelation as Emma. **

**Review, tell me what you think :)**


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